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The new speeding fines will see more drivers refuse to pay and put extra pressure on the police and courts, officers have warned.

While police and road safety groups welcomed the fact that motorist who travel at excessively dangerous speeds will now face fines of up to 175 per cent of their weekly income, they warned that without police enforcement they are almost meaningless.

The tighter penalties come against a backdrop of falling police budgets and a reduction of the number of roads policing officers by around 25 per cent in recent years.

Tim Rogers, Police Federation lead on pursuit and driver training, welcomed the harsher penalties as it gives the serious offence the "recognition it deserves" but he added that it "hadn't been thought through".

"By increasing the fines the likelihood is that people will think 'hang on, I am going to make sure 100 per cent that the evidence stands up to scrutiny' and challenge it in court," he said.

"The potential increase in not guilty pleas will increase the burden on the judicial system and the dwindling number of officers."

The real investment should be in a visual police presence at the roadside to deter speeding which is a strategy with public support, Mr Rogers added.

Police patrolling the M4 in Wiltshire Credit:
Ian Jones

His comments were echoed by the road safety campaigners who pointed out that a fine only worked as a deterrent if people were afraid of getting caught.

Pete Williams, RAC road safety spokesman, said: “Hopefully, hitting these offenders harder in the pocket will make them think twice before doing it again in the future.

"But tougher penalties are only effective in changing behaviour or increasing compliance if drivers genuinely believe that they are likely to be caught and prosecuted for breaking the law.

“With a significantly reduced number of dedicated roads policing officers you have to question whether increased fines alone will change the attitude of excessive speeders."

Changes to the sentencing council guidelines for speeding have introduced a new fine level for those caught travelling at the most excessive speeds, such 51mph in a 30mph zone or 101mph on a motorway. The drivers can now be fined between 125 and 175 per cent of their weekly income, compared to the previous maximum of 100 per cent.

The maximum fine remains the same and is capped at £1,000 or £2,500 if the person is driving on a motorway. The money from fines goes back to the Treasury.

Hardyal Dhindsa, Derbyshire’s police and crime commissioner, said that the Government should consider putting the money back into road policing in a similar way that court fines for victims are used to fund services for them.

Whilst welcoming "anything that is going to contribute to deterring unsafe driving", he said that what was really needed was a change in attitude toward speeding.

"Legislation can only go so far and we need more work to go into changing hearts and minds to make it socially unacceptable," he said. "Right across the police there is reduced funding and there are less officers to enforce legislation and we are more and more in a situation where the general population has to police themselves."